Le Point

{{About|the magazine|a private housing estate in Hong Kong|Le Point (Hong Kong)|other uses|Lapointe (disambiguation){{!}}Lapointe}}

{{Infobox magazine

| title = Le Point

| logo = Le Point Logo.svg

| logo_size =

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| editor =

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| category = News magazine

| frequency = Weekly

| circulation = 288,361 (2020)

| publisher = Le Point Communication

| founder =

| founded = 1972

| firstdate = {{Start date and age|df=y|1972|9|1}}

| company = Groupe Artémis

| country = France

| based = Paris

| language = French

| website = {{URL|https://www.lepoint.fr}}

| issn = 0242-6005

| oclc =

}}

Le Point ({{IPA|fr|ləˈpwɛ̃}}) is a French weekly political and conservative news magazine published in Paris. It is one of the three major French news magazines.{{cite news |last=Baudriller |first=Marc |date=17 January 2014 |title=Franz-Olivier Giesbert quitte Le Point au bon moment |trans-title=Franz-Olivier Giesbert leaves Le Point at the right time |url=https://www.challenges.fr/media/franz-olivier-giesbert-quitte-le-point-au-bon-moment_163628 |url-status=live |language=fr |work=Challenges |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230623135757/https://www.challenges.fr/media/franz-olivier-giesbert-quitte-le-point-au-bon-moment_163628|archive-date=23 June 2023 |access-date=23 June 2023}}{{cite news |last=Hanne |first= Isabelle |date=1 March 2012 |title=Dans le secret de la face cachée des magazines |trans-title=In the secret of the hidden face of magazines |url=https://www.liberation.fr/ecrans/2012/03/01/dans-le-secret-de-la-face-cachee-des-magazines_951541/ |url-status=live |language=fr |newspaper=Libération |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230623160852/https://www.challenges.fr/media/franz-olivier-giesbert-quitte-le-point-au-bon-moment_163628 |archive-date=23 June 2023 |access-date=23 June 2023}}

Le Point was founded in 1972 by former journalists of L'Express and quickly rose to become a major competitor. The magazine has changed ownership multiple times since its inception and is currently owned by Artémis, an investment group of billionaire businessman François Pinault.

History and profile

Le Point was founded in September 1972{{cite book|author=Philip Thody|author-link=Philip Thody|title=Le Franglais: Forbidden English, Forbidden American: Law, Politics and Language in Contemporary France: A Study in|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W56vAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA289|access-date=16 December 2014|date=1 December 2000|publisher=A&C Black|isbn=978-1-4411-7760-5|page=289}}{{cite book|author1=Serge Berstein|author2=Jean-Pierre Rioux|title=The Pompidou Years, 1969-1974|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_GyhQAJeOZoC&pg=PA200|access-date=21 April 2015|date=13 March 2000|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-58061-8|page=200}} by a group of journalists who had, one year earlier, left the editorial team of L'Express,{{cite book|author1=Lawrence D. Kritzman|author2=Brian J. Reilly|title=The Columbia History of Twentieth-Century French Thought|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bREQibN9i-sC&pg=PA721|access-date=15 November 2014|year=2007|publisher=Columbia University Press|isbn=978-0-231-10790-7|page=721}}{{cite book|author1=Alexandra Hughes|author2=Keith A Reader|title=Encyclopaedia of Contemporary French Culture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BKCFAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA357|access-date=22 November 2014|date=11 March 2002|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-78866-8|page=432}} which was then owned by Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber, a député (member of parliament) of the Parti Radical, a centrist party.

The company operating Le Point, Société d'exploitation de l'hebdomadaire Le Point (SEBDO Le Point) has its head office in the 14th arrondissement of Paris.{{cite web|title=Le Point|url=http://www.voxeurop.eu/en/content/source-profile/506-le-point|publisher=VoxEurop|access-date=31 December 2014}}"[https://www.lepoint.fr/html/mentions_legales/ Mentions légales]." Le Point. Retrieved 25 August 2011. "Siège social: 74, avenue du Maine – 75682 Paris Cedex 14" The founders focused on readers' needs, which became Le Point{{'}}s ideal, published by Le Point Communication on Thursdays.{{cite web|title=Media Kit 2014|url=http://www.publicitas.com/fileadmin/uploads/common/Promotions/Le_Point_-_MEDIAKIT_-_2014.pdf|work=Publicitas|access-date=31 December 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150104181225/http://www.publicitas.com/fileadmin/uploads/common/Promotions/Le_Point_-_MEDIAKIT_-_2014.pdf|archive-date=4 January 2015|df=dmy-all}}

After a fairly difficult start in September 1972, the magazine quickly challenged L'Express. The editorial team of spring 1972 found financial backing with Hachette and was then directed by Claude Imbert. Other journalists making up the team were: Jacques Duquesne, Henri Trinchet, Pierre Billard, Robert Franc, and Georges Suffert. The management included Olivier Chevrillon and Philippe Ramond. It has changed ownership several times. Gaumont bought the magazine in 1981.{{cite web|title=Le Point|url=http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/medienindex/media_articles/?frommedia=1792|work=Euro Topics|access-date=31 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924005348/http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/medienindex/media_articles/?frommedia=1792|archive-date=24 September 2015|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} In 1993, Generale Occidentale purchased 82.5% of publisher Sebdo, the owner of magazine Le Point from Gaumont.{{cite news|url=https://www.lesechos.fr/1993/09/la-generale-occidentale-a-rachete-le-point-910770|title=La Générale Occidentale a racheté « Le Point »|newspaper=Les Echos|date=6 September 1993}}

In 1997 the magazine was acquired by its current owner Artémis, a French investment group founded and owned by the billionaire businessman François Pinault.{{cite book|author=Michael Mould|title=The Routledge Dictionary of Cultural References in Modern French|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x-FNTmUwfpEC&pg=PA515|access-date=31 December 2014|date=27 April 2011|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-136-82573-6|page=515}} In 2001, the logo and layout of Le Point was changed. The weekly recruited journalists from the Parisian press and relied on its ability to redefine the genre. It modeled itself closely on Time Magazine and Newsweek.

Franz-Olivier Giesbert was chief executive officer of Le Point from 2000 until 18 January 2014, when Etienne Gernelle replaced him. Giesbert, however, remained an adviser to the magazine and continued to write editorials and articles.{{cite news |last=Debouté |first=Alexandre |date=15 January 2014 |title=Franz-Olivier Giesbert tire sa révérence au Point |trans-title=Franz-Olivier Giesbert bows out at Le Point |url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/medias/2014/01/15/20004-20140115ARTFIG00266-franz-olivier-giesbert-tire-sa-reverence-au-point.php |url-status=live |language=fr |newspaper=Le Figaro |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230623144923/https://www.lefigaro.fr/medias/2014/01/15/20004-20140115ARTFIG00266-franz-olivier-giesbert-tire-sa-reverence-au-point.php |archive-date=23 June 2023 |access-date=23 June 2023}}{{cite news |date=16 January 2014 |title=Le Point : Etienne Gernelle va succéder à Franz-Olivier Giesbert à la direction |trans-title=Le Point: Etienne Gernelle will succeed Franz-Olivier Giesbert as chief executive officer |url=https://www.lesechos.fr/2014/01/le-point-etienne-gernelle-va-succeder-a-franz-olivier-giesbert-a-la-direction-288186 |url-status=live |language=fr |newspaper=Les Echos |agency=Agence France-Presse |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230623152359/https://www.lesechos.fr/2014/01/le-point-etienne-gernelle-va-succeder-a-franz-olivier-giesbert-a-la-direction-288186 |archive-date=23 June 2023 |access-date=23 June 2023}} It publishes a list regarding the reputation of companies, Baromètre d’Image des Grandes Entreprises.{{cite journal |author=Charles J. Fombrun |date=2007 |title=List of Lists: A Compilation of International Corporate Reputation Ratings |url=http://www.palgrave-journals.com/crr/journal/v10/n2/pdf/1550047a.pdf |journal=Corporate Reputation Review |volume=10 |issue=2 |pages=144–153 |doi=10.1057/palgrave.crr.1550047 |s2cid=167494091 |access-date=30 December 2014}}

In February 2025, Erwan Seznec, a journalist working for Le Point, allegedly wrote to a French Wikipedia editor that his employer would publish an article revealing their personal information over a dispute with content the editor had added to the magazine's French Wikipedia article. The editor added content which described Le Point as "populist" and "increasingly close to the right-wing Identitarian movement". Seznec denied accusations that he had made doxing threats, saying he had merely asked for corrections. Le Point backed and defended Seznec, describing the edits and accusations as a "series of malicious acts" and the sources cited for the edits as unreliable.{{Cite web |date=2025-02-18 |title=Wikipédia publie une lettre ouverte pour dénoncer les "menaces" d'un journaliste du "Point" |url=https://www.francetvinfo.fr/economie/medias/wikipedia-publie-une-lettre-ouverte-pour-denoncer-les-menaces-d-un-journaliste-du-point_7081668.html |access-date=2025-02-20 |website=Franceinfo |language=fr-FR}}{{Cite news |date=2025-02-18 |title=Wikipédia publie une lettre ouverte en réponse aux « menaces » d'un journaliste du « Point » |url=https://www.ouest-france.fr/medias/wikipedia-publie-une-lettre-ouverte-en-reponse-aux-menaces-dun-journaliste-du-point-74645a4e-ee03-11ef-ab5f-86b228b95af6 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250219162528/https://www.ouest-france.fr/medias/wikipedia-publie-une-lettre-ouverte-en-reponse-aux-menaces-dun-journaliste-du-point-74645a4e-ee03-11ef-ab5f-86b228b95af6 |archive-date=19 February 2025 |access-date=2025-02-20 |work=Ouest-France.fr |language=fr-FR |url-status=live }}

Editorial stance

Le Point has a conservative, centre-right stance without any party affiliation.

Circulation

Le Point had a circulation of 336,000 copies in 1981.{{cite book|author=Raymond Kuhn|title=The Media in France|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3t-KAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA68|access-date=15 November 2014|date=7 April 2006|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-98053-6|page=68}} It was 311,000 copies in 1987 and 320,000 copies in 1988.

In 2001 Le Point had a circulation of 303,000 copies.{{cite web|title=Top 50 Finance/Business/News magazines worldwide (by circulation) |url=http://www.magazine.org.tw/events/school/report/wmt/top50finance.pdf |work=Magazine Organization |access-date=13 December 2014 |format=Report |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141213185512/http://www.magazine.org.tw/events/school/report/wmt/top50finance.pdf |archive-date=13 December 2014 }} During the 2007-2008 period its circulation was 419,000 copies.{{cite web|author=Anne Austin |display-authors=etal |title=Western Europe Market & Media Fact |url=http://conan.lib.muohio.edu/ebooks/Western_Europe_Market_MediaFact_2008/Western%20Europe%20Market%20&%20MediaFact%202008.pdf |work=ZenithOptimedia |access-date=8 April 2015 |date=2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150205131709/http://conan.lib.muohio.edu/ebooks/Western_Europe_Market_MediaFact_2008/Western%20Europe%20Market%20%26%20MediaFact%202008.pdf |archive-date= 5 February 2015 }} In 2009 the circulation of the magazine was 435,000 copies. Its circulation in 2011 was 428,114 copies.{{cite web|title=Media Pack 2013|url=http://www.adnative.net/fileadmin/uploads/Adnative/switzerland/Files/Home/LE_POINT_FRANCE__mediapack.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207181825/http://www.adnative.net/fileadmin/uploads/Adnative/switzerland/Files/Home/LE_POINT_FRANCE__mediapack.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 December 2022|work=Adnative|access-date=31 December 2014}} The 2013 circulation of the magazine was 417,062 copies. The 2020 circulation of the magazine was 288,361 copies.{{Cite web|title=Le Point - ACPM|url=https://www.acpm.fr/Support/le-point|access-date=2021-05-06|website=www.acpm.fr}}

class="wikitable" \|+ !Year !Circulation
2006 \|408,931
2007 \|443,956
2008 \|443,738
2009 \|434,745
2010 \|429,650
2011 \|430,086
2012 \|432,813
2013 \|417,940
2014 \|401,171
2015 \|380,222
2016 \|355,586
2017 \|330,602
2018 \|301,722
2019 \|292,795
2020 \|279,032

class="wikitable"

!Year

!Circulation

2006

|408,931

2007

|443,956

2008

|443,738

2009

|434,745

2010